Boucher: Having Two Goaltenders Able To Win Games Is Good

In Thursday Night's game Flyers Head Coach Dave Hakstol started the game with Steve Mason in net but subbed in Michael Neurvirth who was stellar in Overtime and in the Shootout as they went on the win the game. As usual, the debate around the Flyers is about who should be the starter in Goal continues as Mason has the better Save Percentage and Goals Against Average this season while Neuvirth has a better Win Percentage and is perfect in Shootout Save Percentage.

NBC Sports NHL Analyst and Former Flyers Goaltender Brian Boucher joined The Sports Bash on Friday and gave his analysis of the Flyers Goaltending Conundrum:

“For Steve Mason, you want to be a number one guy, you get an opportunity to play then the conversation of fatigue is coming in because you’re playing too much. Now the other guy comes back and we don’t want to be looking over our shoulder, you can’t have it both ways. And this is why it’s so difficult to be a number one Goaltender in the National Hockey League, you have to be physically up for the challenge, mentally you have to be up for the challenge, and to earn the right to be the number one guy and not have to look over your shoulder….I think right now maybe there is fatigue in Steve for all the games he’s played….From a team standpoint having two Goaltenders being able to play and win you hockey games is good for the hockey team….What matters to Dave Hakstol and the Philadelphia Flyers is that they have capable Goaltenders that can win them games, whether that’s Michael Neuvirth or Steve Mason….I like the fact that they are a 1A, 1B (and) I don’t need to subscribe that they have to be the number one guy or the number two guy cause I don’t feel like either one of them is cut out for that.”

Hear what Boucher had to say about the future of Flyers Goaltenders, his perspective of Anthony Stolarz, and talks Flyers Alumni Game on Saturday Night: